TAUNTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A somber ceremony was held Thursday in Taunton as a technical sergeant who was killed in Germany during World War II was finally laid to rest.
The community lined the streets for a final farewell, made possible after 73 years, a trip home across the Atlantic, and one extraordinary discovery.
Michael Brady was a newborn when his father, Sgt. John Brady, was shot down over Germany in 1944. His body was never found, until now.
Some of Brady’s remains were found on a German farm, which provided enough DNA to identify him.
“I was in a Walmart in West Little Rock last September when I got a call from Fort Knox, Kentucky, telling me my father’s remains had been identified,” Michael said. “I got kind of weak-kneed. First, I thought it was a hoax and hung up.”
Now at the age of 73, Michael shared a special message for his dad as he was laid to rest on what would have been his 100th birthday.
“Job well done. You gave your life for a great cause,” he said.
Michael’s not alone in that sentiment. Veterans, police, and town leaders joined the public for the burial Brady never got decades ago.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for the American people to get out and honor the greatest generation,” said Bill Ivey, of Homes for Our Troops.
Michael said even though his mother remarried, losing his father was a hole that could never be filled. He’s so thankful to finally see it come to a close.
“This is living history as far as I’m concerned because I lived long enough to see it happen,” he said.
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